The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-18
YOUNG AVENGER.
A Boy Shoots Down His Step
father
FOR TRADUCING HIS MOTHER,
At the Entrance to a Chicago Church,
in Broad Daylight, on
Sunday Last.
Avenged His Mother.


CHICAGO, October 16.-In the throng
of people at the church door Of one of
the most fashionable congregations in
Chicago, grey-haired millionaire bank
president was remorselessly shot down
to-day by his stepsou. to avenge or
shield woman, charged with contin-
ued adultery. The woman was no less
person than Mrs. Meckie Rawson.
wife of the banker shot, and mother of
the assailant. The banker is Stephen
w. Rawson, president of the Union
Trust Company, of Chicago. William
Lee, aged II, is the stepson. Banker
Rawson, with five bullets in his body,
and apparently in a dying condition,
was hastily packed off the blood spat
tered curb and bundled into one of the
score of carriages that had been waiting
for wealthy Worshipers. Young Lee,
with an empty, still smoking revolver
in his hand, was as hurriedly thrown
into a striklngly different conveyance
the blue painted commonplace wagon
OF the nearest police patrol that Cam
rafting around the corner. Away went
the carriage in one direction; off in the
other dashed the patrol wagon, while
all around on the streets and sidewalks
gaped the horror-stricken attendants of
five great churches in the vicinity just
pouring out after the mornings praise
of Him who commanded Thou shalt
not kill" Thou shalt not commit
adultery" Slowly the crowds began to
recover their daZed senses and recall in
detail the fearful circumstances of the
crime. Young Lee had been seen for
half an hour previous pacing the stone
sidewalk on Ashland Avenue, near
Madison, fronting the Third Presby-
terrain church. This is tie church of
which DR.. Withrow, recently from Bos-
ton, is pastor, and which became widely
known as the charge of DR.. Klthredge,
now located in New York. Of this
leading light, and was still an houored
member, Notwithstanding be has been
charged by mis- wife with per
jury and other ofenses, enough to
make him. if true, Veritable
whited sepulchre. He. on the other
hand. alleged that she, although prom
inent in society aud beautiful woman
in appearance, was really a disrepu |
table, blasphemous, deYilishtempered
who coveted only his !
For year or more the two |
have been fighting each other in the
divorce court, and within q week the
banker has filed against her additional
charges of adultery. Little attention
had been paid to young Lee as he
stalked backward and forward past the |
church entrance. He was lost in
the crowd when the gaily dressed
congregation began to come out, among
them the well known form of the bank
president, Mr.. Rawson, who was about to
step to his carriage, when, breaking
the sweet majestic tones of the great
organ, came the sharp crack of re-
volver, followed by deep grosn. An
earthquake could have scarcely pro-
duced more confusion at the moment
among the throngs of gentlemen, ladies
riages and cOachmen that lined the
sidewalks in every direction. A din of
screams began, but subsidized almost in
stantly. The slender, well dressed youth
full Lee Was seen to quickly but coolly
steady his shining pistol with his left
hand, while With his right he again |
and again pulled the fatal trigger. With
the stified cry, I'm killed" the aged |
millionaire fell PROSTATE on the stone
flags, upturning his agonized white |
face at the cold, set countenance of his
stepson. Not till the last of the five
chambers had been empted into the
old mans body did Lee seem to breath.
The crowd seemed rooted to the stones |
in horror, helpless till policeman |
came running to the scene Then began |
wild clamor and Lee. turning to the |
officer, hoarsely whispered, Take me to |
Jail, quick" 1t seemed scarcely a |
moment till the patrol wagon bore him |
away. When the dying banker reached |
his home. six physicians had been
called. They probed for bullets and |
found that all had lodged in the legs |
or arms, save one that entered near the
small of the back and nearly as could be
judged, had plunged through his ab-
domen. If his life was saved it would
be little short of miracle. Ove- at the |
police station young Lee was asking 8
reporter TO carry to Mrs. Rawson, his |
mother, the news. She occupies apart
ments at the Continental Hotel. The |
sent up word that he had ex-
tremeIy important business, and |
YVES presented without delay to a
plump dsrk complexioned. handsome
woman in the prime of life. the most
noticeable feature of whom was pair of
swapping black eyes. She was clad in a
tasteful, tight fitting dark dress and